Did I do it wrong?

[RaleighComp]

I am the new and thankful *next* owner of a 2001 Kellogg Spectrum Custom. I built it up with complete ignorance, having never built up any bike before. I routed the shifting cables uncrossed(as you might be able to tell from my avatar), but it looks like Tom likes them criss-crossed. My thinking is that the bike works very well as is, the handlebar won't hit the top-tube under normal conditions, and a crash might bend the ferrules, but I'm 49 years old and haven't crashed in decades.

Opinions?

[Satellite]

I routed my cables the same exact way on my road bike. On my mountain bikes I cross them. It doesn't seem to matter either way.

[TAW]

I'm assuming here that you have Shimano and they come out of the shifters directly to the cable stops without crossing over one another at the front of the bike. If this is correct, there are a couple of reasons that the cables typically "criss-cross". One is that you want to avoid any tight bends in cables. The crossing of cables makes them longer and less likely to pinch or bend the cable which will affect shifting. You may not have any problems immediately, but over time this may be an issue. Secondly, and less important, there are certain hand positions where it is desired that the cables be away from the bike further and out of the way. Looks like a great bike, though. You should post some pics of the full bike. :)

[RaleighComp]

Actually, I went SRAM (for the first time ever) and the cables come out pretty tight from under the bar tape.

[RaleighComp]

I'm not sure if this shows the routing in greater scale.

[Louis]

DT shifters will take care of that problem :)

[RaleighComp]

LOL. I'm coming off 35 years of muscle memory shifting the Huret Jubilee derailleurs with downtube shifters of the bike I saved up my paper route money to buy. This is the bike for my next 35 years, though I still do about 20-30 miles per week on my old steed.

[-dustin]

depending on where the DT housing stops are, the housing looks a hair short.

I stopped crossing the cables and run just about everything (including mtn) on the same side (unless the bike wants it cross like on some Yetis).

[android]

I have a lugged steel Spectrum also and I've never crossed the cables under the down tube.

[android]

DT shifters will take care of that problem :)

No place to put them. The cable stops are at the base of the head tube. There's no braze ons on the down tube.

[dave thompson]

I've run my cables both ways. Either way works equally well. The main reason that I would cross my cables when using head tube stops would be if the front brake arm interfered with the shift cable while turning the handlebars.

[Satellite]

If you cross the cables for a road bike you will have to cross them twice. Once before the head/down tube cable stops again before the bottom bracket. Atleast the way my cables route on my bikes. I decided to leave plenty of cable housing so the angles weren't sharp and NO crossing. If your bike shifts good don't worry "if you did it right" ride that beautiful bike.

Satellite

[Ken Robb]

No place to put them. The cable stops are at the base of the head tube. There's no braze ons on the down tube.

Epoxy will take care of this problem--I recommend JB Weld. Anything "JB" on a bike is first-rate.